The Race to be Ahead

Alright, so recently I've discovered that I am always trying to get ahead of everyone else, and it's causing me to miss out. Here's an example - I'm trying to read a lot of books this year. I'm doing great, I've read a lot of books, and I've been so caught up in trying to out-read everyone around me that I'm not really reading. I mean, I'm catching part of the book, part of the story, but mostly I'm just trying to get to the last page and write down book number whatever. It's not like I'm just leafing through the pages, but if my mind strays or I'm not really focused, I'll skip paragraphs or lines or sentences to go faster.
I can't believe I'm saying this.
It's incredibly easy to get caught up in being so far ahead of everyone else, to read more books, write more posts, own more shoes, whatever it might be - that's just the competitive nature of our culture. I'm getting better, and trying to focus more on actually reading than just writing down more books on my 2016 "Read List." I don't want to miss out a brilliant story because I'm trying to be better than somebody else. And this doesn't just have to do with reading either - I don't want to miss out on a fantastic experience because of my pride, guilt, situation, or anything that would make me think I'm better than anyone else.
I guess I just need to stop being so competitive and really just take the time to slow down and appreciate life and it's opportunities, not just all the stuff I can do that makes me more educated or wise than you. We all know that pride comes before the fall, but it's easy to forget that pride comes before missed opportunities as well.